1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a push type switch to be turned ON/OFF by an operation for pressing down a switch knob.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional push type switch in which guide grooves are provided on either one of a switch case and a switch knob and guide ribs are provided on the other one of them in order to improve an operation performance of a switch knob has been proposed in Japanese Patent Application Laid Open No. 2006-66102. FIG. 1 to FIG. 3 show one conventional example having such a guiding function.
As shown in FIG. 1 to FIG. 3, a switch 100 has a switch case 101 on which an aperture portion 101a is formed, a switch knob 102 arranged inside the aperture portion 101a, and a switch portion 103 arranged at a lower side position of the switch knob 102. The switch knob 102 is provided to be freely movable between a waiting position shown in FIG. 2 and a pressed-down position shown in FIG. 3, and stressed toward the waiting position side by a stressing means (not shown).
Also, on an inner circumferential face of the aperture portion 101a of the switch case 101, two pairs of guide grooves 110 are formed along a moving direction of the switch knob 102. On an outer circumferential face of the switch knob 102, two pairs of guide ribs 111 to be inserted into the respective guide grooves 110 are provided.
In the above-described configuration, when an operator presses the switch knob 102 down, the guide ribs 111 are moved from the waiting position shown in FIG. 2 to the pressed-down position shown in FIG. 3 while being guided by the guide grooves 110, and the switch portion 103 is turned ON. When the operator releases the pressing down of the switch knob 102, the switch knob 102 returns from the pressed-down position shown in FIG. 3 to the waiting position shown in FIG. 2 while the guide ribs 111 are guided by the guide grooves 110 by the stressing force from the stressing means.
However, in the conventional switch 100 described above, when the switch knob 102 is located at the pressed-down position as shown in FIG. 3, the guide grooves 110 will be exposed from the aperture portion 101a of the switch case 101. Consequently, there has been a problem that it is not neat looking.